What We Offer

Full-scope automation services for food manufacturers

From engineering feasibility to long-term plant support — every service is structured around one goal: getting your automation project to run at rate.

Services Overview

End-to-end capabilities

We provide every service needed to take an automation project from concept to sustained production.

01 — Consulting

Automation Consulting

Strategic guidance for manufacturers evaluating automation. We assess your operation, clarify objectives, and define what system investment makes sense given your throughput, product mix, and budget.

Discuss your project

What's Included

Current state assessment
Review of existing process, throughput, and line constraints
Automation opportunity mapping
Identify which steps are automation candidates and at what ROI
Technology recommendation
Independent systems engineering review of options and trade-offs
Phased investment planning
Structure projects in phases to manage capital risk
02 — Feasibility

Engineering Feasibility & ROM

Define the scope before spending capital. We develop a clear engineering feasibility position and rough order of magnitude cost estimate — so your team can make an informed go/no-go decision.

Request a feasibility review

What's Included

Capacity and throughput analysis
Rates, SKU variability, packaging types, future expansion
Initial 2D layout concepts
Space constraint mapping and early footprint planning
ROM cost estimate
Budgetary range to inform capital planning decisions
Feasibility report
Written deliverable with recommendations and next steps
03 — Planning

Pre-Construction Planning

Detailed design work completed before construction begins. We develop the plant layout, 3D design, process flow, and documentation package that vendors and contractors will work from.

Start planning

What's Included

2D plant layout development
Detailed floor plan with equipment placement and flow paths
3D design concepts
Critical for complex floor plans and custom automation concepts
Process flow documentation
Step-by-step production flow with decision points and parameters
Budgetary quote coordination
Obtain and align pricing from targeted equipment vendors
04 — Procurement

Single-Source Equipment Coordination

We manage vendor selection, quoting, DA Matrix development, and contract execution — so every vendor in your project is working from the same unified scope document.

Talk through procurement

What's Included

Vendor selection
Identify and qualify vendors for each system category
DA Matrix development
Create unified scope document defining every vendor's responsibilities
Bid management and selection
Structured bid process and objective vendor scoring
Contract coordination
Support through contract award with aligned terms and deliverables
05 — Development

Custom Process Development

When off-the-shelf equipment doesn't fit your product or process, we engineer purpose-built solutions — defining parameters, specifying equipment, and developing custom automation concepts.

Explore custom solutions

What's Included

Custom automation concepts
Engineered to fit product handling requirements and environment
Process parameter definition
Temperature, speed, pressure, and CIP requirements defined upfront
Equipment specification
Detailed spec sheets for procurement and fabricator quoting
Trial and validation support
Onsite presence during process trials and acceptance testing
06 — Technology

Software & Controls Integration

Connect your automation to the data infrastructure your plant leadership needs. We coordinate controls, MES integration, and production visibility so your team can act on real information.

Discuss integration needs

What's Included

Production visibility systems
Real-time throughput and OEE monitoring at the line level
Controls alignment
PLC/HMI scope coordination across multi-vendor installations
MES integration
Connect automation data to plant-wide manufacturing systems
Reporting and dashboards
Structured output for operations managers and plant leadership
07 — Commissioning

Startup Oversight

Commissioning is when most projects either deliver or fail. We provide onsite engineering support through startup — managing the all-hands launch, resolving issues in real time, and driving the line to rate.

Plan your startup

What's Included

Project kickoff coordination
All-vendor launch from a single coordinated master plan
Onsite commissioning support
Engineering presence from installation through acceptance
Issue resolution management
Accountability for resolving punch list items across all vendors
Rate verification
Confirm line runs at designed throughput before handover
08 — Support

Long-Term Plant Support

The relationship doesn't end at commissioning. We remain available for performance issues, continuous improvement initiatives, and expansion planning as your operation grows.

Discuss ongoing support

What's Included

Post-startup performance review
Structured OEE review 30/60/90 days after startup
Line optimization
Identify and eliminate bottlenecks after initial production data
Vendor warranty management
Coordinate warranty claims and resolution across all vendors
Expansion planning
Phase 2 and 3 planning when your operation is ready to scale

Food Manufacturing Focus

Line scope: fabrication through end-of-line

For food manufacturers, we coordinate automation across the full production line — from processing, packaging, and through palletizing and outbound logistics.

01

Fabrication/Processing

Take product control after final cut or final processing step. Automate handling, portioning, and inline inspection to reduce manual labor and improve yield consistency.

02

Packaging

Clean process flow that eliminates pile-ups and automates wherever possible in your primary packaging.

03

Case Packing

Production tracking, seal quality verification, label inspection, and automated case packing.

04

End-of-Line

Sealing, label inspection, palletizing, and AGV/ASRS integration — the last mile of the production line.

Built-In Standards

Compliance on every system we deliver

Every automation system Next Tech delivers is designed and documented to meet applicable regulatory and safety standards — before commissioning, not after.

USDA

Intelligent automation designed for FSIS and GFSI regulatory requirements in food environments.

OSHA

29 CFR 1910.147 / 212 lockout-tagout and machine guarding compliance on all equipment.

RIA / ANSI

R15.06 compliance for all robotic cells, with completed risk assessments for all automation systems.

ISO

ISO/TS 15066 risk assessments for all collaborative robot (cobot) applications in production environments.

NEC

NFPA 70 / 79 code compliance for all industrial electrical equipment and control panels.

Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

Not sure where your project fits? Here are answers to the questions we hear most from manufacturers evaluating automation.

Ask Us Directly
Do you work on greenfield projects or only retrofits?
Both. We support new plant construction from blank-site through commissioning, and we work on production line upgrades, capacity expansions, and automation retrofits within operating facilities. The process is the same — feasibility, design, procurement, coordination, startup.
What size projects do you typically support?
We're well-suited for mid-market food manufacturers — typically projects ranging from single-line upgrades to multi-line greenfield builds. We're structured to be the right size partner for manufacturers who need real engineering depth without the overhead of a large engineering firm.
Are you tied to specific equipment vendors?
No. As an automation distributor, Next Tech has OEM relationships that give us access to special pricing — and that's how we're compensated. Our recommendations are still driven by what fits your plant, product, and timeline. Having distributor relationships actually gives us more leverage to hold vendors accountable to your requirements.
What does a feasibility study typically cost?
It depends on the scope and complexity of the project. We price feasibility studies based on the number of systems involved, the state of your existing documentation, and the depth of analysis required. The best first step is a conversation about your project — we can give you a clear picture from there.
Can you engage at any phase of an existing project?
Yes. We're often brought in to rescue projects that have lost momentum — when vendor alignment has broken down, schedules have slipped, or a feasibility study reveals the original scope was wrong. We can assess where things stand and build a recovery plan from wherever you are.

Start the Conversation

Tell us about your plant

Whether you're starting with a feasibility study or need help with an existing project — reach out and we'll help you find the right path forward.